Why would lawyers for Barbados argue against allowing Raul Garcia to watch TV or listen to a radio?

Good Lord! Raul Garcia finished his 20 year sentence for drugs over two years ago, but because the country of his birth will not take him Barbados continues to hold Garcia in jail. This is contrary to both international and Bajan law, but the government doesn’t care. By all accounts Garcia has been a model prisoner and is a reformed man – starting an anti-drug movement and teaching himself to paint. (background story here)

Apparently the government of Barbados fears him watching television or listening to the radio, so Garcia has been denied these two simple pleasures.

Who was the person who made that decision? What kind of a cold-hearted, power-tripping bastard decided that Raul Garcia couldn’t listen to the radio? It is a wonder that Garcia has stayed sane and peaceful.

The more I see of Raul Garcia and the more I understand what he is going through, the more I admire this man. In the year of our Lord 2012, Raul Garcia is twice the man that Freundel Stuart or Owen Arthur will ever be, and he’s a better man than I am.

Just when Raul Garcia thought things were about to change for the good, they remained the same.

Now the stateless detainee of this country’s Immigration Department will have to keep his fingers crossed until November 21.

That’s because more than five hours of mediation between attorneys and a High Court judge to have his conditions improved ended in a stalemate yesterday.

Exactly one week ago, similar mediation by Justice Margaret Reifer had earned Garcia rights to have radio and television at his Dalkieth, St Michael detention facility. His attorneys David Comissiong, Ajamu Boardi and Paula Jemmott went to court again yesterday looking for a further amelioration of conditions.

That was not to be, even after a further two-hour mediation chaired in chambers by Justice Reifer.

26 responses to “Barbados denies radio and television to illegal prisoner Raul Garcia”

BFP should stop supporting a drug trafficker !!! He looks in very good health and for me it’s more than enough!!! We have spent enough of our tax payer’s money on a ganster who is not even a Barbadian!!!!

I think that the treatment meted out to Mr Garcia seems unusually harsh. Maybe the Govrenment and Mr Commissong need to apply pressure to the Government of Cuba which we seem to idolize, and ask (demand) that they do what is right and take Mr Garcia back.. But then again, conditions here may still be better than there. Anyway, whoever the pompous idiot is that thinks that listening to the radio is a matter of national security needs to have his/her head examined.

Aha! Here’s an idea. In order to extend Mr Garcia’s punishment, he should have to watch CBC TV.

ye that have not sinned cast the first stone.!said Jesus Christ.
this Raul Garcia thing is just the most stupid and ridiculous thing i have heard for a long time.
is there no one in government with a back bone to finally settle this matter.
the answer is obvious.give the man bajan landed resident status and allow him to work.
although reporters from around the world will want to interview him for big money that can be taxed and then he can pay back what bajans have paid for his keep all these years.
we the tax payers are still paying for this man.
is he a murderer?
a drug smuggler.yes.big deal look around barbados and you will find hundreds of them.
absolute nonsense.
stand up you week no back bone minister and make a call.
decide something.what use are you other wise.
grow up!

Have we not learned how pompous and nationalistic everyone is until disaster strikes. How many bajans are in us prisons right now serving time for drug trafficing and murder, some serving life, but also have access to radios, tv and education. Cut out the small island pompousness

The Commonwealth Secretariat needs to get on Cuba’s head, belly, back and their “precious jewels” and demand that they take the son of their soil or send him back to the USA and let them send him to Cuba. By the way, will his stay here attract harm to our island? like bombs and terrorists? Just curious. I hope that out immigration officials get him sorted out as soon as possible.

How many bajans are in us prisons right now serving time for drug trafficing and murder, some serving life, but also have access to radios, tv and education. Cut out the small island pompousness.

Do you know how many of your fellow man are in other prisons all over the world? Do you even care? Yet , your country has made one man a miserable man just because he landed in your country and committed a crime.

What are your jails fool of? Killers, rapist and child molestors …So don’t go around pointing fingers and acting like you place is the Holy Land because It’s not!!

Every country has bad elements, we all know that. Crime has no color, race or creed…but to denied someone of basic pleasures like a radio or tv? What the hell are they gaining?

I hope that Mr. Garcia lives long enough to sue your country for all the inhumane unjustice that your country has done to him!!!

For those who are not aware, even illegal immigrants detained in countries who have amodicum of human decency allow these detainees newspapers, tv and books to positively stimulate their minds. Its time the b’dos authorites stop trying to show everyone how brutal they can be, questions will soon be raised about how u treat ur own people, and there are those of us who have lived in b’dos and know the answer to that.

On another note, the great defender of cuba mr commessong really should be advocating to them on this man’s behalf. Is that how commessong would treat bajans were he and his side kick the mentally unhealthy clarke allowed to espouse all that socialist ideology on the bajan populace all these years, wat aload of crap from the two most filled with it.?

The man has paid for his wrong doing and is reformed! He is an illegal alien not by choice. Make him a citizen! He wants to work and support him self and more important he wants to be free. Is Barbados a communist country? then why is he being treated so inhumanly ! Like the others said. grow a back bone and MAKE A DECISION!

It appears to me and to others that yiou are not well informed!!
The word illegal alien is NO LONGER USED..An Alien is someone from out of space and last time I checked Mr. Raul Garcia was still of the human race…Just like you and me.

The proper word is Undocument because the person has no legal documents from your country…Just like you Mr. 8 if you went to another country and stayed longer than what it was allowed.

Do you have any idea how many Undocumented people from your country live in other countries??? Do you know how many are in jail?? Thousands!!

Just like now , you have thousands of people from your own country in your own jails..Don’t pretend that crime does not exist in your crime, or that you are better then anybody else.

The crime that Mr. Garcia was paid by Mr. Garcia LONNNNNG TIME ago.
The only criminals here are the people in power who do not free Mr. Garcia like we would free any of you from any other prison in any part of the world…

We were all born free Mr. 8. People make mistakes, but once they have paid for those mistakes they should be freed!!!!!